The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) this week announced revisions to the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), one highlight of which is that emotional support animals can no longer be considered service animals.
The DOT made the revisions after receiving more than 15,000 comments reflecting concerns raised by individuals with disabilities, airlines, flight attendants, airports, other aviation transportation stakeholders and other members of the public regarding service animals on aircraft.
The new rule defines a service animal as a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability and that airlines must now consider psychiatric service animals the same as other service animals.
Airlines can now require forms developed by DOT attesting to a service animal’s health, behavior and training, and request that if taking a long flight attesting that the service animal can either not relieve itself or can relieve itself in a sanitary manner.
The final rule, which will become effective 30 days after the date of publication in the Federal Register, also allows airlines to limit the number of service animals traveling with a single passenger with a disability to two.
Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA), welcomed the new DOT rule.
“We believe this rule strikes the right balance toward accommodating individuals with disabilities while also ensuring the safety and well-being of other passengers and airport workers,” said Kevin Burke, ACI-NA president and CEO. “This will eliminate potentially dangerous and unhealthy situations that passengers and airport employees have been placed in at airport facilities and in our terminals, including adverse events with untrained animals.”
